Sport racquets, such as tennis, racquetball, squash and badminton racquets, are well known and typically include a frame having a head portion coupled to a handle portion. The head portion supports a string bed having a plurality of main string segments interwoven with a plurality of cross string segments. Racquets are made in many different sizes, lengths, weights, shapes, colors and other characteristics. Racquets are also frequently made to meet the needs of certain types of users based upon an age range, a height range, a user skill level or other user characteristics. Racquets can be initially produced as un-strung, in which the racquet is sold without racquet string, or pre-strung, wherein the racquet is produced and sold with a string bed of racquet string on the head portion of the racquet. New racquets, whether un-strung or pre-strung, typically include a head card positioned either attached to the string bed or positioned within the head portion generally along a plane that defines the string bed. The head card is used to identify the brand of the racquet, the racquet model, and other characteristics and related information about the racquet.
Sports racquets are often sold at retail stores where dozens of racquets are displayed on a wall or on an aisle. The walls or aisles typically include outwardly projecting multi-racquet supports structures, often referred to as pegs. Racquets can be relatively large items which, when displayed, can take up a fair amount of available wall or aisle space of a retail store. Therefore, in order to conserve valuable display space, it is common for a retailer to position a plurality of racquets including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more racquets onto a single peg. The racquets are typically hung or suspended by the top of the head portion with the handle portion positioned beneath the head portion and the head card facing outward. The racquets are typically positioned in groups such that the head portion and head card of the second outermost racquet is directly behind the outermost racquet, third outermost racquet is directly behind the second outermost racquet, and so on.
In many larger sporting goods stores, department stores or “big-box” stores, sports racquets can be displayed by sport (e.g. tennis, racquetball, etc.), brand, price point or price range, racquet characteristics, or user characteristics. Often different or multiple racquet models are displayed on the same peg in such stores. When this occurs, the consumer typically only notices the forward-most or outermost racquet on the peg. In other words, the racquet that is uncovered by the other racquets on the same peg. It is common for consumers to assume that all the racquets on the same peg are the same. As a result, many consumers will not remove the outermost racquet, or otherwise move aside a portion of the outermost racquet, to get a better view of the racquets behind the outermost racquet. Thus, racquets that are not positioned as the outermost racquet on a peg are less likely to be noticed, examined and/or purchased by the consumer than the outermost racquet on a peg. Additionally, many consumers don't want to remove racquet after racquet from a single peg in the hopes of finding a racquet that meets their particular needs. Such an approach can be difficult for the consumer to accomplish and can lead to the consumer becoming frustrated and not returning the racquets to their original position after being removed from a peg and not selected for purchase.
Accordingly, a need exists for a way to overcome or reduce the likelihood of a consumer viewing an outermost racquet and failing to realize or recognize that a racquet having a different characteristic than the outermost racquet is positioned behind the outermost racquet or outermost racquets. What is needed is a system that will allow a consumer to readily identify that multiple types of racquets are present on a single peg. What is needed is a mechanism that will allow for a consumer to quickly distinguish between multiple racquets on a single peg and go to the racquet that interests the consumer. There is a need for a system that will increase the likelihood that racquets positioned away from the outermost position on a peg will be noticed, examined and purchased by a consumer.